Chop-Monster Jr.

Chop Monster Jr.Jazz Language Tutor for General Music Instruction By Margaret Fitzgerald, Kimberly McCord and Shelly Berg Book and CD 160 pages

This jazz handbook for elementary general music teachers comes with 2 CD's and 14 reproducible worksheets. No prior jazz experience is necessary for teachers or students. Students will listen to great jazz recordings; identify and discuss what they've heard; imitate characteristic jazz melodies through recorded call-and-response activities; assimilate swing rhythm and articulation in a variety of fun jazz circle games; perform with body percussion and unpitched percussion instruments (optionally adding Orff instruments or Boomwhackers); demonstrate what they've learned through performance pieces; improvise 1-note, 2-note, and 3-note jazz phrases in a supportive group atmosphere; and link to literature history and other cultures through a variety of lesson extension activities and listening maps.

The book is grouped into 3 units (Rhythm of Jazz, Heart of Jazz, and Soul of Jazz), with 3 parts per unit that teach specific skills for learning how to play jazz. Each part is organized into activity categories: Jam Session (for practice), Concert Time (for performance) and Sitting In (learning about great jazz masters through suggested learning links to history and literature). The "Sitting In" activities reference resources not included with Chop-Monster Jr., such as audio and video recordings and children's literature. The included CD's have recordings for each lesson activity and the 8 performance pieces.